Boasting an impressive 4GB of Memory and a whopping 500GB Hard Drive, this high performer provides masses of space for storing all your files and documents, whilst operating smoothly and effortlessly, however demanding the task.

Featuring WiFi for easy, fast internet connection in hotspots, the Inspiron 1764 also includes a 7-in-1 memory card reader and 4 USB ports, so you can transfer files and link up to external devices with ease.

Enjoy the benefits of reliable, powerful computing at home or away, with the Dell Inspiron 1764.

It's relieving to say, therefore, that the 13-inch Asus UL30A-A1 is a thin-and-light that we'd gladly carry around in our bag for a good long time to come. With a sturdy frame, a decently performing new Core 2 Duo CULV processor as opposed to the disappointing single-core Core 2 Solo CULVs we've seen, and really good battery life, it's close to a complete package for a sub-$1000 laptop that doesn't resort to an Atom processor.

With a solid-feeling chassis, the Asus UL30A-A1 has a plastic feel, but unlike some low-cost laptops, you shouldn't be worried about it breaking if you don't hold it right. The bottom's generic black matte plastic is topped with a glossy silvery plastic on the interior, surrounding a very MacBook-esque chiclet-style raised keyboard. Glossy black plastic surrounds the upper lid's inset glossy screen, while the back is covered in what feels like a thin overlay of aluminum. Even though the UL30A-A1 does look (from a distance) somewhat MacBook-esque, the overall construction is far more budget-minded. To this thin-and-light's credit, the battery is well integrated into the space behind the keyboard and between the two display hinges.

Product summary

The good: Strong battery life; reasonable price; slim design.

The bad: Some keyboard flex; touchy touch pad; feels a bit cheap.

The bottom line: If you're in the market for an affordable thin-and-light, the Asus UL30A-A1 provides great value and a solid Core 2 Duo CULV processor in an attractive package.

The "v" in the Dell Mini 10v's name is seemingly there to indicate value for thrifty Netbook shoppers. The system is in many ways hard to distinguish from its more expensive cousin and is one of the better under-$299 Netbook packages we've seen.

Like most of the Netbooks we've reviewed, the Dell Mini 10v uses the 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor (although one interesting exception is the non-v version of the Mini 10, which uses the Atom's Z530 alternative). Its performance was exactly in line with typical Netbooks, and it works well for basic Netbook tasks, including Web surfing, basic media viewing, and working on office docs, which is what these low-cost, low-power systems are primarily intended for.

The good: Same basic chassis as Dell's more expensive Netbooks; very low entry price.

The bad: Limited configuration options; inset screen is not as nice as the Mini 10's edge-to-edge glass.

The bottom line: Dell's Mini 10v keeps a lot of the features of the more expensive Mini 10, while dropping the price below $300. It's one of only a handful of $299 Netbooks that doesn't look and feel especially cheap.

This configuration of the Panasonic ToughBook F8 is a 3.7-pound, rugged notebook computer.Compared to other rugged notebooks on the market, it is midpriced at around $2,620.The 14.1 inch widescreen has a native resolution of 1280 x 800, which is fairly standard among laptops.Powered by the Intel Core 2 Duo chip.This notebook includes a 160GB hard disk and 3 GB of memory.

Product summary

Pros: Has only a 3.7-pound weight, which is somewhat lighter than some similarly priced notebooks.The built in Bluetooth connectivity will let you pair headphones or sync your mobile contacts.

Cons:Has only a 160GB hard drive.This is not out of line with the product's price, but is smaller than the average notebook on the market today.Integrated graphics controllers that rely on shared RAM are sometimes an acceptable trade-off for budget-minded users.

Suitability: A rugged notebook, suited for for industrial use.The sturdy frame and other features are part of this system's rugged design which make it more suitable for outdoor or industrial settings.If you have a wireless network at home, wirelessly browse the Web from any room in your house with this Wi-Fi enabled notebook.The excellent battery performance will keep your system running longer without plugging in.Archive your digital videos using this laptop's DVD writer.An anti-theft security tether can be fastened into the built-in lock slot.

Value: Overall, this notebook's features seem very weak for its price, compared to most other notebooks.

Samsung has made laptops for pretty much every laptop-consuming corner of the globe except the U.S (an arrangement that's never particularly bothered us). The Q1 Ultra UMPC is as close as Samsung has come to selling a laptop here, but in the fall of 2008, the company decided to take on the challenging American market. One standout product from the initial lineup is the X460, a slim 14-inch laptop with a unique look.

Clearly aimed at the premium buyer, the $1,699 Samsung X460 has a similarly thin profile as the MacBook Air (albeit slightly larger to accommodate the 14-inch screen), and a distinctive chassis that mixes glossy black plastic with red brushed metal. Components are decent, with discrete Nvidia GeForce 9200 graphics and an Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 processor, but it's still overpriced for what you get--about $600 more than 14-inch systems, such as the Asus X83VM-X1 (with better graphics) or the Toshiba Satellite E105 (with only integrated graphics, but a backlit keyboard) that delivery comparable performance.

MacBook Pro is a brilliantly designed Premium notebook with excellent workmanship, which is to our opinion worth the high price. As in former models the ratio of performance and weight is excellent. Furthermore, Apple could also keep the emissions very low (under usual load).

Disadvantages are once again the mediocre interface equipment and the reflections of the 'glossy' screen.

For user who want to run this notebook mainly under Windows (per Bootcamp parallel installation) it is important that the results are not that perfect as under Mac Os X (because the battery runtime is shorter, the drivers for the input devices are worse, and the system noise is louder). The performance is thanks to Core 2 Duo with high clock-rate and a fast middle-class graphics card as expected very good. Compared to the predecessor model there aren't many changes in games except of the slightly faster graphics card.

Competitors of the MacBook Pro are the powerful business and workstation models from Dell (e.g., Precision M4400), HP, or also Lenovo (Thinkpad T500). Even the clearly cheaper multimedia consumer notebooks, e.g., the Acer Aspire5930G have a comparable performance. The strongest competitor in the consumer sector is the smaller MacBook also made by Apple. It mainly differs by a smaller size, the smaller and slightly worse screen, and the lower graphic performance.

Product summary

The good: New aluminum unibody construction comes to the 17-inch model; useful multitouch trackpad gestures; attractive edge-to-edge glass on display; dual graphics provide more power or more battery life.

The bad: All-clicking trackpad is a bit awkward; matte screen option costs extra; switching GPUs is not as seamless as it should be.

The bottom line: A little late to the party, Apple's redesigned 17-inch MacBook Pro joins the 15-inch model with a redesigned aluminum body, new trackpad with expanded functionality, and a dual-graphics setup for either longer battery life or better performance.

The Sony Vaio VGN-FW351 is a refined, attractive laptop, keeping in line with Sony's trademark high-end aesthetics. Decked out in a gray and silver palette called Titanium Gray, the system is reminiscent of an Apple MacBook Pro, but the respectably loud speakers are above the keyboard instead of off to the sides and the keys themselves are white, not black. (This is a fixed retail-only configuration; a version with a black keyboard is available directly from Sony.)